Wintery Fun in Finland

Helsinki Zoo hosts 30 of the world’s top ice sculptors at its
international ice sculpting festival, which will have been running for a decade
in 2014. In honour of Helsinki Zoo’s 125th anniversary, this year’s
theme is a ‘Celebration of Animals’ and will involve over 30,000 kilos of ice
turned into art. The best time to see the sculptures is when the sun has set
and the ice glistens under the evening lights. On event weekends, Helsinki Zoo
is open until 7pm. Take bus 16 from Helsinki central railway station square,
bus platform 8. Zoo entrance is 12€ for adults and 6€ for children aged four-17
years.

Although
it closes for the winter season, Moominworld opens for one week during the
half-term break and with Finland this year celebrating the centenary of
Moomin’s creator, Tove Janssen, the annual Moomin Winter Magic will be
particularly special. Winter Magic sees
the Moomin family break their winter slumber to host a daily programme of
winter fun that includes sledding with Little My, Alice and Moomintroll’s
family ski session and a snowshoe trek with The Hemulen. The park is open from 10am to 4pm. Tickets
are 18€ (children under two years are free).
Moomin World is in Naantali, 180km from Helsinki and connected by a
regular bus service.

Finland’s ice castle festival, known as ‘Jäälinna’, consists of two ice sculpting competitions in
the towns of Heinola and Savonlinna in Finland’s Lakeland region, as well as
two events in Lapland. International ice sculptors from as far away as Mongolia
and Singapore have been invited to compete in this year’s festival and, weather
permitting, the ice sculptures will be on display in both towns for the two
weeks following the competitions. The festival kicks off with the competition
at Heinola’s Strandpark with the theme Going Forward and then moves to the
courtyard of Olavinlinna Castle in Savonlinna, where the sculptures’ design
will revolve around the town’s 375th birthday. Entrance to Heinola
Strandpark is free; entrance to Olavinlinna Castle courtyard is free on 17th
and 18th February and 7€ for adults, 3€ for children aged five-15
years thereafter. Savonlinna is a short flight from Helsinki, or a five hour train ride.

Finnair flies direct to Helsinki from
London Heathrow (return fares start from £109 in February) and Manchester
(return fares start from £146 in February). Fares include all taxes and fees.

Visit Finland, i.e. the Finnish Tourist Board, is a state agency actively promoting Finland as a destination for foreign travelers. Visit Finland works closely with Finnish travel regions, travel businesses, transport companies and ministries, marketing tourism to Finland from abroad.Visitfinland.com